Improvement in boots



M. M. CLARK.

Boot.

No. 216.309. Patented June 10, 1879.

mep5e55 ".PETERS. Photo LITHOGHAPH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES M. CLARK, OF HIGHLAND MILLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO JAS. HALL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,309, dated J unc 10, 1879; application filed April 21, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MOSES M. CLARK, of Highland Mills, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Boots;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in boots and it consists in making a hole through the sole of" the boot, near the toe, and closing it with a removable air and water tight plug, so that should the boot become wet, after it is removed from the foot it is only necessary to remove the plug, and a current of air will at once begin flowing through the boot that will quickly dry it.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the same. a, represents an ordinary rubber boot, which has a hole, a, of any suitable size made through its sole at the toe. In this hole is placed a plug, 6, made of any suitable material, and which fits air and water tight. This plug is made removable, and is held in place by means of a screw-thread, or any other suitable holding device which will allow it to be readily removed.

When a boot gets wet, owing to the height of the leg, no ventilation can take place in it,

and consequently a boot remains wet and unfit to wear long after a pair of shoes would have become dry. Where the boot gets wet, after it is removed from the foot it is only necessary to remove this plug, when a current of air at once begins flowing through the boot, and soon dries it. This ventilation is especially necessary in rubber'boots that are lined with some fibrous material, for when the lining once becomes wet or damp it takes a long time to dry out.

I am aware that boots have been made with double soles, and that the act of walking is made to force air either into or out of the boot while it is upon the foot 5 but this is merely for the comfort of the wearer. In my case no air is admitted to the foot while the boot is upon it; but when the boot has become wet or damp inside, the plug is removed after the boot is taken from the foot.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A boot having a hole or socket, 0, through its sole, in combination with the removable plug 0, the parts being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of April, 1879.

MOSES M. CLARK. Witnesses: J AMlES HALL, M. G. BELKNAP. 

